Revision as of 12:17, 26 February 2013

Feel free to add to or edit information in this discussion tab as necessary. Please take time to become familiar with the General Keying Standards and be sure to read all instructions on the main project page. (Please note that in case of a discrepancy, project level instructions always trump general keying standards.)

Common Keying Errors Found by Reviewers

Questions and Answers

If you have a keying question that is not answered on the project page or in any of the information above, click “EDIT” and ask it here. (If you click on Rich Editor you won't have to worry about formatting your entry.) Then click “WATCH” at the top right on this page and you will be notified via email when an update has been made.

Q: What does the abbreviation "ult." mean in the context of these records? I looked it up on rootsweb (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njmorris/acronyms.htm) and it said: The abbreviation “ult.” stands for the Latin “ultimo,” or last — a date last month, during the preceding month. The abbreviation “ult” is often found in pre-1900 correspondence and in other early sources. Should record the previous month for the event in regards to the publication date? I also ran across the abbreviation "inst." which is also listed in the table on this site as short for "instant" or this month - within the same month. Thanks, Mike --Hardcoal 23:52, 24 February 2013 (UTC)

Q: What does the abbreviation "res. of sister" mean in a death record? For example, I have one that reads "Fri 30th res. of son in law Harry M. morris, Ann R. Edwards wid H Richard G Richards, USN 81y of city." I'm not exactly sure who died. I think it is -- at the residence of Harry M. Morris, Ann R. Edwards died and she is the widow of H. Richard G. Richards. Yes? Or did both Harry M. Morris and Ann Edwards die? I'm leaning toward the former, but just wanted to check. Erika

A: Yes, res is short for residence, so it means that Ann R Edwards died at the residence of Harry M Morris, and Ann is the widow of H Richard G Richards. --Katerimmer 19:07, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Thanks! sorry for gratuitous bolding. --Erika

Q: What is "primary person"? I am doing marriages and some times the first person listed is male and others it is female. There are no suffixes or prefixes for the second spouse, so what is the suggested correct way to enter the Mrs, Jrs etc.?

A: The primary person is the first person named in the marriage entry and so you would not key the prefixes and suffixes for their spouse, but as I understand it, there will be a matching entry on another page where the spouse is the primary person, so their prefixes and suffixes will be keyed in that entry. --Katerimmer 19:11, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Q: How far does reasonable calculation of the event date go? For instance, if the publication date is "June 2, 1804" and the event occurred on "Sunday," a quick search for an 1804 calendar will inform you that June 2 was a Saturday and the preceding Sunday was May 27, 1804. So, should this inference be made or not?

A: I'm sure that WAP don't intend for us to have to search for old calendars, so no, the date would not be inferred in this situation. --Katerimmer 11:02, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Q: If a contributor has done it anyway, should the event date be blanked out in review?

Q: In marriage records, I'm looking at "Nathaniel Swift Jr." Should I infer that his father was Nathaniel Swift? I assume not because my own family is home to several instances of inherited names skipping generations and still being numbered but I thought I should still check to be sure.

Q: I am starting my first page and on the event field for "marriage", "death", or "burial" you need to F7 them as they show up red and are not accepted. I am on the vital records form and thought I read the instructions correctly. Is there another solution?

A: (from Anna) The wrong dictionary has been uploaded, the problem should be fixed soon. In the meantime you will have to f7 them. --Paulmd199 05:58, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Q: If a listing is continued on the next page and does not have the publication date carried over do I use the Publication date from the previous page or leave it blank?

A: You would leave it blank. --Katerimmer 11:02, 22 February 2013 (UTC)

Q: I have two questions. I am working on a page and I am sure the date was entered wrong when the transcription was done ie: Tuesday July 24 is in 1849 NOT 1840 as is written. The next page, which is sequential, lists the date as 1849. Should I enter as written or correct?

A: Key as seen even if you think it is wrong. --Katerimmer 22:57, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

Next there are some entries that have the notation "4-11-9" which I thought might be DOB until I came across "43-2-12". Now I am wondering if it is age: Y-M-D. Any ideas?

A: If it's in a death record, the age is often written this way. For example, 43 years, 2 months, 12 days old. Old tombstones often have this, too.

Q: I am recording death records with a publication date of August 21, 1851. The whole record reads... At sea Aug 18, Bark Japonica, Edward Spalding 61y. Do I record " At sea", " Bark Japonica", or " Bark Japonica, At sea" for the event location? I looked up Bark Japonica and it is the name of a ship.

A: I have gotten some places of deaths occurring on ships or at sea, too. I've been leaving the field blank as it's not really a geographical location. However, I'm not sure this is correct or not. Hopefully, we'll get an official answer.

Last names of spouses

I am working on death records which list the spouses last name with an initial only. Such as: Alley, Jane w/o of Richard A. Do you want me to record this as Richard A (surname left blank) or to expand it, and record it as Richard Alley?

A: Yes I would key the name as Richard A Alley. -- Wiedwoman 18:12, 23 February 2013 (UTC)

Suggestions/Additions

If you have a suggestion or would like to make an addition to the project page, click “EDIT” and post your suggestion here. (If you click on Rich Editor you won't have to worry about formatting your entry.) Then click “WATCH” at the top right on this page and you will be notified via email when an update has been made.